1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an inkjet printhead and a method of manufacturing the inkjet printhead.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, an inkjet printhead is constructed to eject ink droplets onto the surface of a print medium such as a print paper, to thereby print or record the desired image on the print medium.
In addition, an inkjet printhead is in general manufactured such that an ink repellent coating or hydrophobic coating is applied to and formed on an area of the inkjet printhead which faces or confronts a print medium, for preventing unwanted attachment of ink droplets to the area.
Conventionally, in manufacturing an inkjet printhead, a hydrophobic coating is applied to and formed on a nozzle-containing face or nozzle face of the inkjet printhead for avoiding unwanted attachment of ink droplets to the nozzle face. The inkjet printhead includes a nozzle film, one of both faces of which faces a print medium and which contains a plurality of nozzles. The one face is referred to as “nozzle face.”
Such a hydrophobic coating tends to be easily scratched or damaged due to sliding contact occurring between the hydrophobic coating and an edge of a warped print paper or a jammed print paper. The event is referred to as “paper-caused abrasion” in the art.
If the hydrophobic coating is damaged in areas thereof which are in the vicinity of the nozzles, then ink droplets are attached to the areas surrounding the nozzles, resulting in drawbacks such as miss-firing (non-firing, jet misdirection, or the like) of ink droplets, or contamination of the surface of a print paper with ink droplets.
Under these circumstances, techniques have been previously proposed for preventing the hydrophobic coating which has been applied to the nozzle face, from being damaged due to contact with a print paper or the like. These techniques include a technique of countersinking or recessing the nozzle film in the vicinity of the nozzles, and a technique of attaching a separate member (protective plate) to the nozzle face. See Japanese Patent No. 3060526 and Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 5-201000, for example.